Hand traveling case



June 1, 1965 M. A. GILBERT 3,186,529

HAND TRAVELING CASE Filed April 30, 1962 Jig 4 mnnll INVENTOR Ala/ya ref ,4. Gi/Zeff ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,186,529 HAND TRAVELING CASE Margaret A. Gilbert, 15 Clyde St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Filed Apr. 30, 1962, Ser. No. 192,303 1 Claim. (Cl. 190-51) This invention relates to traveling cases and is particularly related to .those cases which are provided with a solid integrated construction about the small circumference.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of a travel case which will stand up under the adverse con ditions of modern travel and carry heavy loads when necessary.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a carrying case which will have the stresses so distributed from lifting by the handle that it can be moved from place to place while open without causing strains to be concentrated in a way to cause the drawers to jam, at the same time having the case so light as to meet all travel conditions such as handling by attendants and airplane travel where a case has to be strong yet light to admit a maximum of advantage from the weight allowance of the carrier.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a travel case wherein one end is provided with a door for the Withdrawing or replacement of the drawers, without having the sides of the case pivoted or otherwise detachably secured to the top and thus weakening the whole structure.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a strong upper portion which is connected to the handle and which is provided with strong drawer-carrying rails secured independently to the sides of the case, for carrying the rails.

Still another object is the provision of an arch-shaped upper portion which has the sides of the arch construction secured together by end plates thus effecting a truss construction for the whole top of the case.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the complete specification and claim.

Having reference to the drawing, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the case showing the end door in closed position.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 but showing the end door open with the parts in position to have the drawers pulled out as desired.

FIG. 3 is a view of a short piece of a drawer-supporting rail 12 attached to the case which is attached to the frame for the support of each drawer and extends around three sides of the case for supporting the respective drawers.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drawer which may be, if desired, provided with compartments, eight being shown in the drawing.

FIG. 5 is a drawer similar to the drawer of FIG. 4 but without compartments.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a shoe tray which may be provided for use in one of the drawers, and preferably made of plastic for use of shoes, which may be muddy.

In the drawing, the reference character 1 refers to the supporting handle of the case, by which it is carried from place to place. This handle is is attached to the top member of the case by fastening members 2. At one end of the case is a door member 3 which is provided with hinges 4 at one sideof the door. A fastening member or lock 5 is provided opposite the hinge-edge of the door, its co-acting members being designated by reference characters 8 and 9 respectively. The door member 3, extends vertically and overlaps the truss member making the whole construction very rigid.

At this point, it is desired to invite particular attention to the curved top edge 14 of the end plate 15 of the case, which is connected to the curved top 10 thus providing a truss formation which forms a very rigid construction to take care of the strains of handling the case when the case is in use, as shown in FIG. 2. This construction forms a very rigid structure and distributes the stresses, thus preventing undesired bending of the sides of the case.

This door member 3 extends over substantially the whole area of theend of the case to permit withdrawal of the drawers when the door is open, but, when closed, overlaps the top end plate 15 which acts as a part of the truss structure and further reinforces the whole case.

This truss construction makes it possible to move the case short distances with the door open, without causing any unwanted strains, or causing any bending action in any part of the case.

The case is illustrated as being provided with five superimposed drawers 6 which may be pushed in or pulled out when the door 3 is open. Each drawer is provided with a recessed end having a rolled or smooth edge 7 to facilitate the moving in and out of the drawers 6.

The construction of the top member 10 of the case is such that the ends as shown in FIG. 1 make it practically a truss which makes this case extra strong. At the side edges of the top member 18, there are downwardly extending side portions, from the top member 10, and which are permanently and rigidly secured to the top member 1%. These side members help to make the structure stiff and strong. Whether open or closed, the case has a rigid stability which promotes the easy withdrawal or replacement of the drawers 6 without binding or grabbing at the sides, thus facilitating the operation of the drawers.

The plastic lining with the tray 13 of plastic, permits easy cleaning in case mud or dirt is deposited in the drawer in which shoes are carried in the tray 13.

The use of the truss formation for the top provides the sides with a stable construction without additional supports for the sides of the case, and assists the frame members 12 to retain the easy operation of the drawers.

While parts of the invention are described and shown in detail it is understood that this is merely illustrative and that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and within its scope as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

A hand-carrying case having drawers and being characterized by a stiff body portion and having superimposed slidably removable drawers comprising:

(a) a body portion having superimposed drawers slidably supported and located one above the other, and slidable from an end of the case,

(b) a top member having a curved surface and ending in straight line edges at its sides,

(c) substantially vertical side members forming portions of the body portion, permanently and rigidly secured to the straight line edges of the top member,

(d) the top member having a reinforcing member extending from one side member to the other side member and attached to the top member along a curved line, thus forming a truss construction between the side members and the top member,

(e) angle rails attached to the interior side walls of the case to provide stiffening means for the case and for slidably supporting the respective drawers,

(f) a handle for the carrying case attached to the top member midway between the ends and sides of the top member,

(g) and an end door, hinged at one side and covering substantially the area of the end of the case.

(References on following page) References Cited by theEx miner 1,484,186 2/24 Minich; V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,609,348 12/267 D 2s5,305 9/83 Peirson 190-52 FOREIGN'PATENTS 513,011- 1794 GWyn 19o-33 5 ,4 1/97 Sweden, 611,189 9/98 White "190-4 1,137,579 4/15 Cohn 190-s1 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primdry Exami'nei. 

